


It's All Kalman's Fault

by Nary



Category: Diablotin
Genre: Age Difference, Awkward Conversations, Dancing, F/M, Flashback, Flirting, Older Man/Younger Woman, Parenthood, Spanking, Submission, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-26
Updated: 2011-09-26
Packaged: 2017-10-24 01:27:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/257334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My lord," Phedre said, looking up at him through thick, dark lashes, "you've been so very kind to me."  And to Kalman's surprise she leaned close against him, quite deliberately giving him a view of her breasts in the low-cut gown.  "And I wondered," she continued boldly, "whether I truly deserve such kindness..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's All Kalman's Fault

The ballroom at the Arsenios mansion was crowded with guests on the occasion of the young master and mistress's coming of age. Pavo and Antenia had invited everyone of note in the city, or so it seemed. Most of the the Imperial family were even in attendance - Princess-Imperial Celestine was a close friend to Mademoiselle Phedre Arsenios.

The newly-appointed Lord Chancellor and his family were there as well, of course. Kalman received numerous congratulations on his new position, and Eglorine beamed with pride each and every time. His eldest daughter Ysana, heavy enough with her first child that dancing was quite impossible, also received many congratulations. Kalman would have been happy to sit with her, but Ysana shooed him away. "I'm not bored, Daddy, and Halden can fetch me drinks or anything I need. Go on, enjoy yourself!"

So he let himself be waved off, and was soon flooded with invitations to dance. He danced with his wife, though only once - more would be selfish. He danced with the Duchess of Wray, savouring the secret pleasure he always felt when Katia was in his arms in public. He danced with the Empress, and with her wife (for so he always thought of Althea), and with their daughter Celestine, and tried not to think of poor Theonée. He danced with the Warlord's two daughters, Franeka taller than him now, and Hatice, slim and small and pretty and disconcertingly red-haired, which led, as it often did, to a train of thought he tried not to follow to its logical conclusion. He wished he might still dance with his sister, but at least he could take her daughter's hands and waltz clumsily with her standing on his shoes, before picking her up to twirl her around and make her shriek with laughter.

At last he found himself before the birthday girl. Phedre wore a stunning cream-coloured gown trimmed with peach silk, and her chestnut hair fell in delicate ringlets down to her shoulders. "Mlle. Arsenios," he said, bowing politely.

Phedre curtseyed in return. "My lord," she replied demurely, but she kept her eyes on his, quite boldly for such a young lady.

"I'm certain you have far more invitations than there will be dances this evening," Kalman began diplomatically, but Phedre shook her head, making her curls tremble.

"No, indeed, I would be glad to accept your invitation, my lord," she told him, although he had not in fact made one yet. Kalman smiled, however, and offered her his arm, which she accepted eagerly.

They moved together onto the dance floor, and he put his arm about her slender waist as the music began. She waltzed deftly, her brown eyes sparkling with pleasure. He imagined she was somewhat overcome by the festivities, so many guests and so much excitement - and perhaps, he thought with a smile, slightly more wine than she was accustomed to as well.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked her, seeking to make some idle conversation as they danced.

"I am, my lord," she smiled. "I didn't expect it would be this magnificent!"

"Oh, surely your father was bound to put on a grand affair for his dear children's fifteenth birthday," Kalman said. "After all, it comes but once."

"True, but now that my brother and I are of age, there will be many more parties in the days to come," Phedre said brightly. "Not so lovely as this, though."

"And have you danced with your brother yet?"

"Oh yes - the very first thing, almost, after Papa, but before Uncle Adrius." Phedre gave an innocent smile. "Phorien's not such a good dancer as you, though, my lord."

Kalman smiled. "Well, he has not yet had so many years of practice as I have. Did he tread on your poor toes?"

"No, but he doesn't lead so well, my lord. I always have to show him which way to go. I swear, he only found his way out first because I was pushing him from behind," she said with a giggle. Her cheeks, Kalman noticed, were quite flushed, and when the dance ended she fanned herself vigorously. "My, but it's warm in here," she said, still leaning on Kalman's arm.

"Let us get you a drink, then," Kalman told her. She nodded, and he took her off to the parlour where the refreshments were served. She accepted a glass of punch gratefully, and took it to near an open window, where a light spring breeze seemed to refresh her. Kalman was about to take his leave of her, seeing that she was recovered and not in danger of fainting, when she seized his arm once more.

"My lord," she said, looking up at him through thick, dark lashes, "you've been so very kind to me." And to Kalman's surprise she leaned close against him, quite deliberately giving him a view of her breasts in the low-cut gown. "And I wondered," she continued boldly, "whether I truly deserve such kindness. After all," she said, trailing her hand up his arm to wrap about the back of his neck, "I'm much too forward, and very disobedient, my lord, and I thought perhaps you'd like to put me over your knee again, and then maybe fuck me..."

Kalman frowned, taking her wrist firmly to disengage from her attempted embrace, puzzled by what she meant by 'again'. And then it came back to him...

 _The children had been playing together in his garden, he thought Elena might have been nine, so Phedre would have been no more than ten, and he'd overheard the girls squabbling about something, he couldn't remember what anymore. And Phedre, in a fit of childish temper, had pushed Elena into the fountain. He remembered fishing Elena out sobbing, and sending her inside with the nursemaid to get dried and changed, and then taking Phedre by the arm and sitting down to look her in the face. "She just slipped," the girl had lied outright, and he knew he had to show her that sort of behaviour was unacceptable. He had explained to her, calmly, keeping himself under tight control, that Elena could have been badly hurt, and that she would have to be punished for what she had done. He'd laid her over his knee, and slapped her backside probably ten times, not more. When he'd let her up again her cheeks were bright red and her brown eyes were flashing - he thought with anger, but perhaps not..._

"Phedre," he told her, trying once more to keep his calm, "I have daughters older than you. I'm married. I could never take advantage of you..."

"You wouldn't be," she persisted. "I want you, please, I've always..."

"Don't," he said more sharply, cutting her off before she could say more. "Is this how you comport yourself? Behave yourself, Mlle. Arsenios."

"If you'd teach me a lesson, my lord, I'd learn to behave myself however you wanted..." She gave one last desperate attempt at a kiss, but Kalman managed to dodge her lips. Thankfully at that point a group of guests came into the parlour, and he was able to bow and make a hasty escape, leaving Phedre pouting and furious.

He sought the relative safety of the gentlemen's chamber upstairs, where he found Boden enjoying their host's port and cigars. Kalman flopped down into a chair, frazzled and just a little panicky. Boden eyed him with amusement. "What happened, did Ysana pop out the kid right on the dancefloor or something?"

"No," Kalman said, helping himself to a drink to steady his nerves. "I was, uh, propositioned."

"So? Doesn't that happen all the time?"

"Not as often as you might think. Anyway, it wasn't the offer itself, so much as who it came from."

"Come on, then," Boden pressed. "You can't not tell me, after that. Who was it? Did Pavo have a few too many and confess how he's always felt about you?"

"No," Kalman said, and then eyed Boden uncertainly. "He doesn't, does he…? Oh, never mind. No, it was his daughter."

He fully expected Boden to laugh, and sure enough, the big man had a chuckle at his expense. "So, the girl's got a crush, so what? You know Falke's daughter? The skinny one, not the one with the tits."

"I can't say I've noticed which one has 'the tits'," Kalman said coldly. "Emoune, Martine...?"

"Emoune, that's her. Girl wrote me a poem a few years ago, shoved it into my hand blushing, and ran away. I read it, but I had to get Tigranne to tell me what some of the words meant. Libidinous... ravishment… Well anyway, I got the idea of what she wanted, though I still don't know why she couldn't just say "I want you to fuck me," much easier to understand. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I told her she was a nice girl, but I couldn't fuck her, or her dad would kill me. I don't think she really believed me, but it seemed to sort of let her down easy. All I'm saying is, at that age, it's normal to have a crush on someone older, an authority figure or whatever, isn't it?"

Kalman resisted the urge to say he didn't think there was much normal about Phedre's crush. "She asked me to spank her," he said finally.

At least Boden didn't laugh that time, although his mouth curled a bit, suggesting he was trying very hard not to. "Kinky little bitch," he said, with what might have been a hint of admiration.

"I can't even... I just..." Kalman took another drink. "I did spank her once, when she was ten, and... is this all my fault?"

"Yeah, probably," Boden told him, which was no consolation whatsoever. "Don't worry, though. Sooner or later she'll find someone else to slap her ass, if that's what she wants. She'll just be thinking of you, at least the first few times." And then Boden did laugh out loud, at the sight of Kalman's face going pale.


End file.
